Memoir Left by Gustaaf Willem Baron Van Imhoff, Governor and Director of Ceylon, to His Successor, Willem Maurits Bruynink, 1740 |
Common terms and phrases
administration advantage already ammunams amounted to Fl areca-nut August August 12 Baron van Imhoff Batticaloa bearing date cardamom Ceylon chief ruler cinnamon Colombo Company's consideration considered Coraal Coromandel Council of India cultivation December 26 Dessave Dessavony documents Dutch Dutch Company duties elephants Excellencies at Batavia expenditure favour February 25 former Galle garden Government of India Governor van Imhoff granted guilders important improve increase inhabitants Instructions interests island Jaffnapatam king Korle land Landraad Mallabaar Manaar matter Matura Memoir ment mentioned Mudaliyar native chiefs necessary Negombo Netherlands November 22 obtained officers opinion opposite coast peaceful possession pepper perhaps period present profit proved Provinces quantity received refer regard revenue right of abode rule salaries sent Sinhalese successor sufficient Supreme Government territory Thombo tion trade Trincomalee trouble up-country vessels Wanni Willem yearly
Popular passages
Page 10 - General and the council of India does not agree with mine, and as a matter of course their suggestions have prevailed over mine with their Excellencies in the Netherlands but how far why and to what purpose I cannot say. You will therefore have to make the best of the matter, and adapt yourself to time and circumstances ". He however modifies his criticism in the latter part of his memoir.
Page 10 - ... this opens a way for all kind of underhand dealings on the part of the native officers The Landraad not only will be in a better position to investigate and decide who is wrong, but being partly composed of natives the latter would not all agree to mislead the other members, who do not understand the language, by false reports of mistranslations; while the Dessave alone may be easily misled
Page 52 - I have long wished it might be. We might then do away with such coercive measures as fines, which I disapprove of so strongly, and which is such a source of annoyance to the inhabitants and prejudicial to the Company. If this yoke of the power of the Church could be removed from the natives, I think this Colony, and especially Jaflnapatam, would flourish more than it ever did before.
Page 51 - We now want men who will thoroughly dig up the garden and sow the seed of the Word of Salvation, so that it may bear fruit. In one word, we require ministers who will learn Portuguese, as well as the Sinhalese and Tamil languages, and work among these people. Otherwise, how can we expect to oppose the Popish errors and their heathen idolatory ? No better means could be employed to give people zeal and love for the Word of God.
Page 61 - We must not therefore give way to our despondency, although we sometimes feel inclined to exclaim : " The wise and the foolish receive the same treatment ; as the one is dealt with, so is the other ! " Such considerations do not make right what is wrong, and would only weary us.
Page 40 - I must also warn Your Excellency that these people never cease to complain and petition, although they are better off than any of the other inhabitants in Ceylon ; and that they always come with these complaints when it is time to commence...
Page 5 - Trevancoor, with whom we had formerly but little to do, must in the present circumstances be also considered when speaking of our peaceful occupation of territory, because it seems that he intends to disturb it. This has been proved by some occurrences at Cape Commoryn. I think, however, that the worst has passed, our station there having been strengthened.
Page 48 - ... subject as it relates to Ceylon, will observe with sadness that this Church of the Lord, this Zion, which ought to be in a flourishing condition after so many years, can only be looked upon as a foreigner in Mesech, living in the tents of Kedar, as a sterile and lonely one who has but few children, as a small hut in the vineyard, and a shelter in the cucumber garden, as a nearly deserted and uninhabited town...
Page 48 - Kingdom during the century or more that we have been peaceably settled here. Those who would pass on from this general contemplation to a particular consideration of the subject as it relates to Ceylon, will observe with sadness that this Church of the Lord, this Zion, which ought to be in a flourishing condition after...
Page 63 - Government, both with regard to the work that is to be done and the persons by whom it is to be carried out.